Vessels weren't spared, and neither was the Princess Bay
Boatmens Association at the end of Seguine Avenue, near Lemon Creek
Park.

The tide from the Raritan Bay rocked boats attached to the
property's dry dock, sending them to places folks never imagined they
would go.

The work to repair damage caused to the site and
vessels is astronomical, said commodore Ed Humphries. Some were found on
45-degree angles; others sank, and a handful were completely destroyed.
Two were beached. Others made their way to Bayview Avenue.

"They're
all over the place. One of our member's boats ended up in New Jersey.
We're just trying to find them and put them back together," he said.

Water
blew through the clubhouse and came out the other side. The front door,
which was locked, was forced off its frame. Windows blew out.

"Everything
in the buildings was tossed around," he said, noting two other
buildings took on some damage as well. The smaller one only received
water damage and fared better than the other.

The good news?

"We think we'll able to put the marina back together and be back in operation next season," he said.

For
now, the Association needs to make an assessment on the building and
craft a plan. A third of its 2,500 feet of docks was damaged.

But Humphries sounded a positive note. "We're salvaging what we can. We'll be back in business in the spring," he vowed.

Mike
Anderson, director of the American Boating Association, said sometimes
the worst place a boat can be during a hurricane is a dock, where it
will get slammed against objects.

In other parts of the country, boaters take their crafts to lakes and drop an anchor, and usually they survive, he said.

The
American Boating Association website, www.americanboating.org, lists
several details folks should keep in mind when it comes to preparing for
a hurricane. Here are a few, even though Staten Islanders are hoping
not to see another Sandy anytime soon:

* Before a storm
threatens, decide first where to put the boat. If possible, haul it out
and block it carefully in a place where trees and other boats cannot
fall onto it.

* Tie the boat so that you can adjust the mooring
lines from the dock. If the water level rises and the boat is bouncing
about, you will not be able to get aboard to slack the lines so it can
rise with the storm tide. Prepare for a tide so high that you cannot go
out on the submerged pier at the peak of the storm.

* Turn your
boat in the slip to face the storm winds and waves as much as possible.
Set up spring lines to resist forces from the storm directions. Tie
directly to the tallest, sturdiest pilings you can find. Cleats can pull
out of their mountings.

* After you have done everything
possible for your own boat, check the ones around you, especially those
to the east. Call the owners to let them know of the danger, if you can.
If necessary, add dock lines to neglected vessels to protect your own.

* Finally, go home. Do not stay aboard. No boat is worth your own life.

Anderson said New Yorkers and New Jersey residents have shown a resilient nature following the storm.

"I think it's a testament to the people down there," he said. ---Follow @siadvance on Twitter